Blundell, RichardDias, Monica Costa2018-05-232018-05-232002-08Blundell, Richard e Monica Costa Dias (2001). "Alternative approaches to evaluation in empirical microeconomics". Portuguese Economic Journal, 1(2):91-1151617-982X (print)1617-9838 (online)http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/15461The research is part of the program of the ESRC Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Fiscal Policy at IFS. Financial support from the ESRC is gratefully acknowledged. The second author also acknowledges the financial support from Sub-Programa Cieˆncia e Tecnologia do Segundo Quadro Comunita´rio de Apoio, grant number PRAXIS XXI/BD/11413/97.Four alternative but related approaches to empirical evaluation of policy interventions are studied: social experiments, natural experiments, matching methods, and instrumental variables. In each case the necessary assumptions and the data requirements are considered for estimation of a number of key parameters of interest. These key parameters include the average treatment effect, the treatment on the treated and the local average treatment effect. Some issues of implemen- tation and interpretation are discussed drawing on the labour market programme evaluation literature.engEvaluation methodsMatchingInstrumental variablesSocial experimentsNatural experimentsjournal article10.1007/s10258-002-0010-3